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History of relations between Belarus and the European Union

Basis of disagreement

The variations between Brussels and Minsk are primarily based on completely different assessments of the outcomes of the Belarusian elections. Since 1996, the European Union doesn’t think about them democratic due to the inconsistency with worldwide norms. The 2004 referendum, which gave Alexander Lukashenko the chance to run for president with out restrictions, was not acknowledged as authorized both. The EU can also be not glad with human rights violations and repressions towards activists and journalists.

History of relations between Belarus and the European Union

Sanctions for reprisals

Relations between Minsk and Brussels have severely worsened after the dispersal of a protest rally on the day of the presidential election on December 19, 2010. The liberalization of 2007-2008 ended with the arrests of Lukashenka’s rivals and the trials of the protesters. The EU lifted a lot of the sanctions imposed on Belarus after that solely in February 2016 in response to the discharge of political prisoners.

History of relations between Belarus and the European Union

Ambassadorial scandals

EU ambassadors have left Belarus twice. In June 1998, they have been expelled from their residences within the village of Drozdy below the pretext of renovating close to the Lukashenka’s residence. The diplomats returned solely in January 1999. In February 2012, 27 EU ambassadors once more left Minsk for two months as an indication of solidarity with the representatives of Poland and the EU, whom the Belarusian facet supplied to go “to their capitals for consultations.”

History of relations between Belarus and the European Union

Cooperation within the “Eastern Partnership”

Back in 2009, Belarus, together with Armenia, Azerbaijan, Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine, was invited to the EU’s Eastern Partnership (EaP) program. But it turned out that Minsk doesn’t apply for integration with Europe, is solely in pragmatic cooperation within the financial system and doesn’t intend to stick to one of many important priorities of the EaP – democratization.

History of relations between Belarus and the European Union

Euronest – with out deputies from Belarus

The 1st Euronest Parliamentary Assembly of the EaP was held in May 2011 in Brussels with out parliamentarians from Belarus. They have been offended that along with 5 deputies from the Republic of Belarus they invited 5 representatives of civil society. At the sixth session of Euronest in Kiev on October 30 – November 1, 2017, in addition to at others, there was additionally no official delegation, however a big group of oppositionists was invited from Minsk.

History of relations between Belarus and the European Union

Minsk isn’t glad with the format

President Lukashenko didn’t go to the EaP summit within the fall of 2017, though he acquired an invite for the primary time after the lifting of sanctions. Official interpretation – the format of cooperation doesn’t indicate a excessive degree of illustration. The delegation was headed by the pinnacle of the Belarusian Foreign Ministry Vladimir Makei. Observers clarify the refusal to journey by the shortage of bonuses, which Lukashenka hoped for, and by concern of Moscow’s anger.

History of relations between Belarus and the European Union

There is cooperation, however no contract

Belarus is the one one of many 6 EaP international locations that doesn’t have a cooperation settlement with the EU. Relations are nonetheless ruled by the 1989 settlement between the USSR and the European Economic Community. Minsk want to signal the Partnership Priorities program with Brussels. This settlement is only a framework doc and, in contrast to the affiliation settlement, doesn’t set up deep types of interplay.

History of relations between Belarus and the European Union

Economic partnership

For Belarus, the European Union is the second most necessary buying and selling companion after Russia. The EU accounts for a 3rd of the nation’s complete commerce. Mainly oil merchandise are exported. Trade with the EU within the 1st quarter of 2017 elevated by 5.6% in comparison with the identical interval final 12 months, to $ 2.9 billion. The optimistic stability is $ 302 million. True, over the earlier 3 years, the amount of commerce fell by nearly half.

History of relations between Belarus and the European Union

Help from the European Union

From 2014 to 2017, the EU assist package deal for Belarus amounted to 91.5 million euros. Joint initiatives are financed within the discipline of environmental safety, vitality, and border improvement. The National Human Rights Plan, adopted with EU help, laid the groundwork for inside reforms. Negotiations on visa facilitation and readmission are underway. There is an Erasmus + program for college kids and lecturers.

History of relations between Belarus and the European Union

Simplification of the visa regime

On April 9, 2020, President of Belarus Lukashenko signed a regulation, the adoption of which accomplished the method of ratification of the settlement with the European Union on visa facilitation. Among different issues, it supplies for lowering the price of a Schengen visa for Belarusians to 35 euros and setting the utmost interval for making a choice on issuing a visa – 10 days.

Author: Galina Petrovskaya